2015-02-06

"I play for the love of the game. And it is with that love in mind, and a new understanding of the true meaning of forgiveness, that I will proudly return to Indian Wells in 2015," she wrote.

After winning the tournament in 2001, Serena vowed never to return to play there because of the harsh treatment she received from fans.

Let's make this perfectly clear: the harsh treatment she received from fans was because she and her sister were quite possibly cheating at their father's behest.

"The false allegations that our matches were fixed hurt, cut and ripped into us deeply," Serena Williams wrote on Time.com. "The under­current of racism was painful, confusing and unfair. In a game I loved with all my heart, at one of my most cherished tournaments, I suddenly felt unwelcome, alone and afraid."

Serena went on to win her second title there but was booed loudly throughout the match. The boycott was on. Richard Williams later said he heard racial slurs from the crowd during the final.

It was either out-and-out cheating akin to last weeks' Molchanov vs Velotti match, or else extraordinarily dirty and underhanded play. This is a giant black eye on the sport of tennis in general perpetrated by the Williams sisters.

Racism, as one traditionally understood it, isn't at play here. What is at play is that when we perceive and/or witness somebody doing something antisocial or otherwise objectionable, we assault and belittle them with every weapon at our disposal. (It is vital to note that neither the black guy nor the other hispanic guy are ever the recipient of racially charged assaults. They both act properly, in the sense that they show up for work, do their jobs, take the blame when they mess up and only take the credit when its deserved. We have no reason to be upset with them.

With this insight, we see that the blame for Richard Williams being called a fucking nigger isn't with the crowd, it's with Richard Williams himself. The fucking nigger is fixing matches. His nigger daughters are cheating.

Thirteen years and a lifetime in tennis later, things feel different. A few months ago, when Russian official Shamil Tarpischev made racist and sexist remarks about Venus and me, the WTA and USTA immediately condemned him. It reminded me how far the sport has come, and how far I’ve come too.